“During Ramadhan this year I want to improve my knowledge of Islam by reading books about Islam,” Santo said.

Another bookstore browser, Retno, a mother of two, said she wanted to make the most of her time by reading as many religious books as possible during Ramadhan.

“I’m looking for books about the Lailatul Qadr,” Retno said, referring the so-called ‘Night of Power’ or ‘Night of a Thousand Months’, when Muslims believe that good spiritual practices are rewarded (pahala) as if they were repeated over a thousand months.

Retno was accompanied by her children who looked as excited as if it were a school holiday.

A student found in the stacks, Safia Putri from SMP 40 state middle school in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta, said that bookstores were always her first choice for spending spare time, even if she wasn’t looking for religious books.

“I come here while waiting for the time to watch Harry Potter because the school is on [Ramadhan] holiday.”

“I go to the bookstore about once a week, even during Ramadhan,” Safia said, accompanied by two friends.

Schools in Jakarta were closed for three days at the beginning of Ramadhan this year.

According to the Indonesian Booksellers Association, the sales of religious-themed books would likely increase during the holy month. “The trend from year to year is always like that,” association’s chairman Firdaus Umar said.

Sixtus Christian Syailendra, the assistant manager of the Gramedia bookstore in Matraman, East Jakarta, said sales of the Koran have been up since the three days before the start of Ramadhan on Aug. 1.

“Compared to regular days, there has been a 20 to 30 percent increase in the sales of the Koran every year [during Ramadhan]. The increase can also be seen in religious books, although we haven’t calculated sales figures yet,” he said.

Sixtus said the school holiday also made a big contribution to the sales spike.

Suyatna, the assistant manager of the Wali Songo bookstore in Kwitang, Central Jakarta, reported a similar increase in sales due to Ramadhan.

The store, which specializes in Islamic-related books, has seen a 30 percent increase in sales of the Koran, he said. “The second top best-selling books after the Koran are those on fasting, followed by books on prayer recitals [dzikir] and the deeds of the Prophet Muhammad [hadits],” he said.

Suyatna said that the store’s customers ranged from children to the elderly.

“But most of them are young adults and young executives,” he said.

— JP/Novia D. Rulistia

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